Ford on Trump travel ban: 'We do not support this policy'

While a number of technology companies have issued statements or taken other action over the weekend in opposition to the travel ban, Ford is the first automaker to take a clear position

Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company and Mark Fields, president and CEO of Ford laugh while having their picture taken by photographers at the 2016 North American International Auto Show.(Photo: Eric Seals)

Ford CEO Mark Fields and Chairman Bill Ford strongly rebuked President Donald Trump's travel ban in a joint statement Monday as the Dearborn automaker joined a number of tech companies and several other global firms in criticism of the executive order.

The criticism from corporate America built over the weekend and during the day Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 122.65 points, or 0.6%, at 19,971.13 after falling as much as 223 points.

"Respect for all people is a core value of Ford Motor Company, and we are proud of the rich diversity of our company here at home and around the world," Fields and Bill Ford said in the joint statement Monday morning. "That is why we do not support this policy or any other that goes against our values as a company."

A number of technology companies — including Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Lyft — issued statements over the weekend in opposition to Trump's executive order. On Monday, Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein, in a voicemail to employees, said: "This is not a policy we support," and warned of possible disruption to the company's operations.

"I recognize that there is potential for disruption to the firm, and especially to some of our people and their families," Blankfein said.

But Ford was the first major automaker to speak out forcefully against the travel ban, which applies to seven predominately Muslim nations and also has impacted people with green cards who were previously approved to travel freely.

Fields, in an interview on CNN on Monday afternoon, said the policy goes against Ford's core values.

"Well, when you go back to the history of our country, first of all, we are all immigrants into the country, and secondly, as a company, we have grown from over the last 114 years into a major automaker," Fields said. "And it’s been because of the great people who have worked in our company over the years and they have been from all races, creeds, nationalities and I think that’s what makes us great as a country and what makes us great as a company."

The criticism could further complicate the on-again, off-again relationship between Ford and Trump.

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly bashed Ford for its Mexico investments, but in recent weeks the company has won his praise for its decision to cancel a Mexico plant and expand certain Michigan operations.

The auto industry has much to lose by getting on Trump's bad side. The sector is particularly vulnerable to Trump's threatened border tax and would be harmed by a U.S. trade war with China, but it's also hoping for loosened federal fuel economy standards.

Fields met multiple times with Trump in the initial days of his presidency, and Bill Ford has repeatedly discussed his company's manufacturing strategy with Trump in recent months.

Fields said he would continue to meet with Trump over business issues, but also would speak with candor on the topic of the travel policy. The automaker said it took the position even though it does not know of any employees directly impacted by the new policy.

"We will continue working to ensure the well-being of our employees by promoting the values of respect and inclusion in the workplace," Fields and Ford said in the joint statement.

The UAW, a union that was deeply entwined in the civil rights struggles during the 1960s, also forcefully criticized the policy Monday.

"We are a nation of immigrants, and our union would not exist if immigrants and nonimmigrants alike hadn’t fought in solidarity for the rights we cherish today," UAW President Dennis Williams said in a statement. "We must protect national security while remaining true to the very values that have made us a great nation. The UAW opposes discrimination of any kind and denounces any policy that judges people based on their religion or nation of origin."

Ford's statement stand in contrast to the relative silence from other automakers.

General Motors sent an e-mail to its employees Sunday about the travel and immigration policy.

"Some of our colleagues operate here with a GM-sponsored work visa, and a few are from the countries affected by the Executive Order," John Quattrone, GM's senior vice president of global human resources said in the memo. "Please know that, per our normal business practices, if any GM employee traveling back to the U.S. with a visa encounters difficulties, GM will provide the employee and his/her family with support."

The memo went on to reiterate the automaker's commitment to cultivating a culture that embraces diversity and religious beliefs without specifically criticizing the administration's policy.

CEO Mary Barra recently agreed to join Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum of American CEOs advising the president on economic issues. Barra also was among three auto executives who met with Trump last week to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement, U.S. manufacturing jobs and U.S. automotive regulatory policy.

Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president and global product development chief, declined to comment directly on the travel ban Monday after a press conference in Detroit to announce a joint investment into development fuel cells.

"I got to tell you, I am very, very proud of General Motors," Reuss said. "We are a global company, and I think we have probably a really good representation of people from completely different backgrounds — cultures, race, gender — so I am very proud of that. We are a global company."

Reuss said he is unaware of any employees directly impacted by the policy.

Jeffrey Smith, vice president of communications for Honda North America, said the Japanese automaker is evaluating the policy and has no comment at this time.

Nissan, in an e-mail, said: “At this time, we are not aware of any impacted employees.”

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne also was among the auto executives who met with Trump last week. Fiat Chrysler, in an e-mail to the Free Press, also declined to comment on the policy.

Meanwhile, the fourth American automaker, electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors, denounced the Trump immigration policy Saturday. CEO Elon Musk has pledged to pursue a consensus among fellow Strategic and Policy Forum members on needed changes to the plan to propose to the president.